Welcome to the Office of Emergency Management

The Office of Emergency Management (OEM), which coordinates the City's processes of mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery from man-made and natural disasters, is based in the Alexandria Fire Department. Our Office maintains the City's Emergency Operations Center, which is used by City officials and related agencies to provide a coordinated response to major emergencies and disasters. OEM also maintains the City's Emergency Operations Plan, which identifies the responsibilities of all local departments and agencies. OEM staff members serve as the City's liaisons with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as well as staff support to Alexandria's Local Emergency Planning Committee.

Winter
Weather!

Winter
Preparedness Week in Virginia is Nov. 30-Dec. 6

Recent Virginia winters have been cold and snowy, and many
people had power outages. It’s so important to be winter-ready that the
National Weather Service and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management
have set aside Nov. 30-Dec. 6 as Winter Preparedness Week.

No matter the predictions, a significant winter storm is
always possible. With an El Nino weather pattern expected this season,
there could be a wetter than normal winter. And El Nino winters can be
snowier if atmospheric conditions are right … just like the winter of 2009-10.

Remember: an important part of winter weather planning is
being prepared to stay where you are until conditions improve. To be
ready, take these steps:

Get a kit. Basic emergency supplies include:

Three days’ food that doesn’t need refrigeration or
electricity to prepare it

Three days’ water (a gallon per person per day)

A battery-powered and/or hand-crank radio with extra
batteries

For
businesses and offices, some bottles of water, food bars and a radio or TV to
hear local information about whether or not it is safe to travel